All of this is why I use my 1941 cast iron Singer----and not the 4 new (some basically untouched!) machines that I have bought through the years. If it goofs up, I unthread it and rethread it and do the same to the bobbin. Then it always works. I vote that you look for a yardsale/Craigslist old machine, spend a few bucks having it gone through by a pro, and then sew away blissfully into the sunset for many years......